Collapsible reenforcement for concrete



Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

- UNITED sTAT'Es Parenr ort-Fiori,x i

KENNE'T HQ LQVELL, or' L'IBER'rYvILLE, ILLINoI's.

coLLArsIBLntnnnnnononnnnr roa concan'rn.

Application filed July 24,

My invention relates to improvements in reenforcements for Vconcr-ete constructions,

the same being particularly adapted for use,

in reenforcing floor beams and other spans, but 'being capable of use in various other constructions, such, for example,ras walls, slabs, arches, etc., my: purpose, kgenerally Speaking-being to provide a reenforcement which is inclusive of shear and tension members so foldably or collapsibly connected together* that when the reenforcement is'set up for use it forms a ,cage-like structure of enerally U-shaped cross section,-and when folded or collapsedflthe tension and shear Vmembers serve to protect oneanother against injury and 'the entire structure occupies a minimum amount Ofspace, -so that its storage, transportation and handling is greatly facilitated,V I i w 1 -Moreover it -is my 'purpose to provide a reenforcement Which is slmple inv construction, relatively cheap and easy to produce, strong, thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, and in which the tension ymembers 'may be adjusted readily to different positions withrespect to theshear members either to i lock the reenforcement against collapse from a set up position yor to permit it to becollapsed; I

With

the foregoing-and other purposes in view, my invention consists in the novelV features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters. of reference denote corresponding parts in the diiferentviewsz-- y.

Figure 1 is a perspective showing my invention used as a floor beam reenforcement;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of my reenforcement in a folded or collapsed condition; and Figure 3, a topkplan of my reenforcement as shown in Figure 2.

By reference to the drawings, it will be i observed that my improvedy reenforcement consists essentially ofa plurality of shear -members 10 and a plurality of tension members 12. Each shear member is formedV 1926. Serial NO. 1245597.

directed portions 18, 18 of limited length, as shown. i. k f

- The horizontal' conne'cting bar 16 is of lless lengththan the distance between the'vertical: bars, 14, V14:, and 'terminates at itsflends inV short, downwardly pdirected portions 20, 20, which in turn vare extended outwardly and thence upwardlyinto the vertical bars 14, '1,49 .the result, being that, asV aforesaid, each shear member is of substantially U- shape-with the-legs or vertical bars 14,14 thereof connectedv with the straight .portion .or horizontal bar 16 thereof through small U-shaped bends. Bar 16 acts assupport lfor longitudinal'-reenforcing, doing away With individual* supports commonly used to fhold vthe device off from the woodform so as to allow .fiow of concrete as requiredby-city ordinance in connection with fire-proofin'gf The tension members 12are four in numj i .ber inthis instance, although this number may be increased orldecreased as desired,

and they preferably but'not necessarily are in the form of straight, Aflat barsyof any desired lengthpunched atevenly spacedintery.vals to providetonguesg22 whichv are jbent around the vertical rods14., 14 of the shear members 10 whereby the latter are' connected togetherand held in spaced relation to one another, and whereby the reenforcement may be manipulated* between the set up and collapsed positions shown, respectively, in Figures 1 and 2of the drawings.

The tension bars 10 are placed against the inner Lfaces of the vertical bars 14, V14 of vthe shear members and the tongues 22 iextend around the outer faces of said vertical i bars, so that when the reenforcement. is coli lapsed the tension bars liey flat against one another and the shearV members ex'tend diagonally, the result being that the shear,

members serve as protecting reenforcement fory the tension members and the latter tension bars will remain in' any positionthey may be Lplaced alongthe shear bars. It is to be noted, however, that the hinge connections vprovided by the tongue's 22 perthe tension bars to be shifted to' any do-i woV uok

i lt? zontal bars 16 of the she-al' members ask shown in Fig. l to lock the reenforcement against' collap'se from its set np position. Of course, the reenforcement may be n'sed With the tension bars positioned anywhere along theJ bars 14, 14-, and since it will -raroly be; required to oolla'pso the roenforoe'meht once thashoen set up :tor use, thev tenson bars vrioirnally vvill' be position'ed above the U-formations between the ende of' the bars 1'4t, '14,16,fso that all that it necessary to lookthe'y feh'foroomoht against collapse- .'s tojorce" the lb'r'ver tension bars doiviwvardly following setting up of the reenforcement 'front .the position of Fig'hrsI 2 and' 3 to the of Fg. i.

Tho manner of using a reonforoemefit of the type; 1 have d'solosedi is won known to thooskmed in the ooncreto oohstmotionl art and furth'o'rd-s'orption is therefore dee'med 4 to' bo unnecessary. H

I, claim':

1, re'enforcement for Concrete con'st'rnctijon's including' a pluraflity of generally U- s'liaped shear members, a' pln'ralfty Lof tensjion'- inembe'rsconnectingj said shear membersfitogethfenhinge joints between said tension and shear members permi'ttifig) the reenforcement to be collalpsed, Vand means whereby the tension members ma;Y be interlocked With said shear members to prevent Collapse of the reenforc'ement.

2; AL ree-nforcement for Concrete constructions including a. plurality of generally U- shaped shear members each including a pair of spaced vertical shear bars and a horizontal bar connect-ing them, tension memconnect-ing said shear members, said tei'isi'on membershaving hinge connections f'fi'tli the vertical bars of said shear member's' and being movable to difieren't positijon's valong said vertical?- bars, and means effective in a' given adjusted position of said tensio-nmembers 'along said vertical shear bars to prevent relative rotation between said shear and tension bars, thereby to prevent Collapse* of the reenfor'cement from a set up position. i

32 A reenforcement for conore'te constructions including'avy pln'altfyv o'f .generally U- shal'ied shear members each including a pair ofspa'ced' vertical shear bars andv a; horizontal bar connecting them, U-shaped formation/s between the ends of said horizontal bar and said Vertical bars, andtension members hin'ged; to said vertical bars and 'novable'L along the latter into and out of engageinent With said U=shaped form'ations.

ln Witness Whereof, I have hereuntosubscrlb'edx my name- I KENNETH H.. LovELL. 

